Page 148 of The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée

My heart pounds. I’m letting go of the account I worked so hard to get all of these years but the idea of Tabitha having a shot at her dream feels worth it. They say when you leave a relationship, you should leave that person better off than when you found them. That’s the one thing I want, now.

“I can’t go through with this.” She motions at the table where the papers aren’t yet filed. “Our partnership. This doesn’t work.”

“I understand,” I say.

Gail stares out the window, thoughtful. Then she grabs a scrap of paper and scribbles something. “Fine. Go and give this to Tabitha. I need her to show up at Sydmore’s tomorrow at one. That’s my private cell right there. Have her call if she can’t make it, but we’ve waited long enough to get this thing started and we have a lot of work to do. You tell her I’m glad this nonsense is past. She has no choice but to work with me now.”

“You might have to tell her yourself. She’s not talking to me. She doesn’t ever want to see me again.”

She extends the card to me. “You find a way to get this number to her.”

“I want to respect her space.”

“Figure it out,” Gail says. “Figure it out.”

Chapter 29

Tabitha

We thankthe Lyft driver and climb out onto the sidewalk—Jada, Mia, Max, Kelsey, Noelle, and Antonio, and me. It’s two in the morning, and we have big plans to listen to Prince and dance in Kelsey’s apartment.

We’re heading toward our building entrance. Antonio’s gone ahead; he’s waiting for us under the door canopy, slumped against the wall, voguing extreme boredom, like we’re all taking too long.

I’m nearly there when Jada clutches my arm. “No way!” she whispers.

I look where she’s looking.

It’s Rex. Coming down the walk.

Our gazes collide. My pulse kicks up.

He speeds up, his long legs eating up the distance between us, long coat flapping open behind him. His face is somber, gaze stormy, dark hair mussed. I hate that he’s here, yet there’s nobody I want to see more.

“I just need a second,” he says. “It’s important.”

“We reallyaregoing to get that restraining order,” Jada says to him, pulling me more tightly to her side.

My friends gather around me, flanking me. “How many times do you think you can fool her?” Jada says.

“It really is important,” Rex repeats.

Antonio steps up to Rex. “This guy giving you trouble?”

“He’s not,” I say. “Go on in. I’ll see what he has.”

“If he just has something to give you, he can give it to you in front of us,” Mia says.

“It’s fine,” I say.

If warning glares could kill, Rex would be dead on the sidewalk seven times over, because that’s what all of my friends are giving him—major warning glances as they back off toward the door. Mia literally points to her eyes with two fingers, and then points at him. She’ll be watching from the window. They all will be. They file in, and the door shuts.

“I am so sorry. I know sorry isn’t enough,” Rex says.

“How could you?” I gust out.

“I lost track of time. I know that’s not a good enough excuse. Today of all days you deserve so much better.”

“You left me sitting there.”

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